Abstract: A balloon catheter assembly includes a catheter shaft, and a balloon mounted on the catheter shaft. The balloon includes a distal neck portion, a proximal neck portion, and an inflatable body portion in between the distal and proximal neck portions. The distal and proximal neck portions are connected to the catheter shaft. The balloon also includes a fiber provided on the body portion. The fiber is oriented relative to the longitudinal axis of the body portion at an angle between about 45° and about 135°, and has a diameter of less than about 10 ?m.

Abstract: An implantable medical device includes a substrate, a drug-impregnated layer deposited over the substrate, and a barrier layer at least partially covering the drug-impregnated layer. The barrier layer may be a biodegradable metal, biodegradable metal oxide, or biodegradable metal alloy, such as, magnesium, a magnesium oxide or a magnesium alloy. The drug-impregnated layer includes a therapeutic substance, such as, antineoplastic, anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet, anticoagulant, fibrinolytic, thrombin inhibitor, antimitotic, antiallergic, and antiproliferative substances.

Abstract: A radiopaque marker band includes a tube having an inner surface and an outer surface. The tube is made from a shape-memory material, such as a nickel-titanium alloy. A coating is disposed on at least a portion of the outer surface of the tube. The coating has a greater radiopacity that said shape-memory material. The coating may be applied in a plurality of bands on the outer surface of the tube.

Abstract: An endoluminal prosthesis for placement in a body lumen of a metallic material having controlled porosity for improved ductility. The metallic material may be formed into a stent structure or a wire or sheet, which may then be formed into the stent structure. The porous network of the stent includes pores that range from nanometer scale to micron scale. The controlled porosity accommodates volume changes as well as provides a barrier to crack propagation to allow alloy steels and amorphous metal materials, which would otherwise be considered too brittle for the demands of intraventional use, to be utilized in a stent.

Abstract: An intravascular material removal device that removes material from a vessel wall and creates flow dynamics that draw the material into a catheter device for removal from the vessel is provided. A collapsible device that provides a relatively low delivery profile while being expandable in use to adapt to varying and variable vessel diameters is also provided. A spiral configured material removing element is provided that can adapt to varying vessel diameters and to remove material forming blockages or occlusions from the inner wall of a vessel.

Abstract: A content provider interfaces a client with a server. The content provider includes a task manager operable to initiate and manage a session for a client and to query the server, when required, for content requested by the client. The content provider also includes session content storage for storing content associated with that session. The content provider further includes a protocol adapter operable to respond to the task manager for interfacing with the server to retrieve content requested by the client. The retrieved content is stored in the session content storage associated with the session for the client.

Abstract: A stent and a method for manufacturing a stent are provided. The stent includes a first ring having a plurality of peaks and a plurality of valleys, a second ring having a plurality of peaks and a plurality of valleys, and a connector that connects one of the peaks of the first ring to one of the valleys of the second ring. The connected peak of the first ring includes a deformed portion that extends towards the connected valley of the second ring. The method includes forming a first ring having a plurality of peaks and a plurality of valleys, forming a second ring having a plurality of peaks and a plurality of valleys, deforming a portion of at least one of the peaks of the first ring, and connecting the deformed portion of the peak of the first ring to one of the valleys of the second ring.

Abstract: A bioresorbable endoluminal prosthesis for placement in a body lumen having a stent substrate of a first metallic material that has a lower electrical potential than a standard reference electrode. The stent substrate is coated with a biodegradable polymer having a second metallic material dispersed therein, wherein the second metallic material has a higher electrical potential than the standard reference electrode. After implantation of the stent within the body lumen, the second metallic material is present in the polymeric coating in a sufficient concentration to cause galvanic corrosion of the first metallic material such that over time the stent substrate is bioresorbed.

Abstract: A balloon-expandable stent formed from a customized alloy formulation. The stent alloy has a either a high, variable or no work hardening rate, very high modulus of elasticity (Young's modulus), and a low yield point. A stent constructed of a material with this combination of properties undergoes significant plastic deformation upon deployment in vivo to its implantation diameter and exhibits minimum recoil for better sizing. The plastic deformation also raises the subsequent yield point of the stent material resulting in a stronger stent upon implantation that is more resistant to vascular loading.

Abstract: A laminated stent encapsulated with a metal coating is provided. The metal coating may be a very thin metal coating. Portions of the metal coating may be removed such that the metal coating covers voids in the laminate, particularly in the area where the different layers of the laminated stent come together. The metal coating for the laminated stent may be provided by sputtering, such as vacuum deposition or ion beam sputtering, spraying, dipping, or other known methods.

Abstract: A valve replacement system that can be used for treating abnormalities of the right ventricular outflow tract includes a prosthetic valve device having a sealant contacting at least a portion of the outer surface of the valve device. The sealant may be breakable, and may be a hydrogel, an expandable hydrogel, or a solid. One embodiment of the invention includes a flowable sealant that is injected within the vascular system. Another embodiment of the invention includes a method for replacing a pulmonary valve that includes forming a seal around the exterior surface of a replacement valve and preventing blood flow around the replacement valve.

Abstract: A balloon-expandable stent formed from a customized alloy formulation. The stent alloy has a either a high, variable or no work hardening rate, very high modulus of elasticity (Young's modulus), and a low yield point. A stent constructed of a material with this combination of properties undergoes significant plastic deformation upon deployment in vivo to its implantation diameter and exhibits minimum recoil for better sizing. The plastic deformation also raises the subsequent yield point of the stent material resulting in a stronger stent upon implantation that is more resistant to vascular loading.

Abstract: A system for treating a vascular condition includes a conduit having an inner wall and at least one locking member positioned within the inner wall of the conduit. The system also includes a stented valve positioned in contact with the locking member within the inner wall of the conduit. A method for treating a vascular condition includes inserting a conduit with a stented valve into a target region of a vessel, positioning a contact portion of the stented valve against a locking portion of the conduit and preventing migration of the stented valve within the conduit based on the positioning.

Abstract: Access is provided in an object-oriented computing environment by an instance of a first class to a selected protected resource of an instance of a second class. This involves defining a third class that includes a protected virtual method for accessing the selected protected resource. The first class is defined as a subclass of the third class such that the first class inherits from the third class an access-resource method for the protected resource and a pointer to an instance of the second class as an implementation of the third class. The second class is defined as a subclass of the third class such that the second class inherits from the third class and implements the protected virtual method for accessing the selected protected resource by overloading that method.

Abstract: An intravascular material removal device that removes material from a vessel wall and creates flow dynamics that draw the material into a catheter device for removal from the vessel is provided. A collapsible device that provides a relatively low delivery profile while being expandable in use to adapt to varying and variable vessel diameters is also provided. A spiral configured material removing element is provided that can adapt to varying vessel diameters and to remove material forming blockages or occlusions from the inner wall of a vessel.

Abstract: An intravascular material removal device that removes material from a vessel wall and creates flow dynamics that draw the material into a catheter device for removal from the vessel is provided. A collapsible device that provides a relatively low delivery profile while being expandable in use to adapt to varying and variable vessel diameters is also provided. A spiral configured material removing element is provided that can adapt to varying vessel diameters and to remove material forming blockages or occlusions from the inner wall of a vessel.

Abstract: Access is provided in an object-oriented computing environment by an instance of a first class to a selected protected resource of an instance of a second class. This involves defining a third class that includes a protected virtual method for accessing the selected protected resource. The first class is defined as a subclass of the third class such that the first class inherits from the third class an access-resource method for the protected resource and a pointer to an instance of the second class as an implementation of the third class. The second class is defined as a subclass of the third class such that the second class inherits from the third class and implements the protected virtual method for accessing the selected protected resource by overloading that method.

Abstract: A content provider interfaces a client with a server. The content provider includes a task manager operable to initiate and manage a session for a client and to query the server, when required, for content requested by the client. The content provider also includes session content storage for storing content associated with that session. The content provider further includes a protocol adapter operable to respond to the task manager for interfacing with the server to retrieve content requested by the client. The retrieved content is stored in the session content storage associated with the session for the client.